Toothbrush



S. SEGAL.

TOOTHBRUSH.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 15. 1920.

1,382,681. I Patented June 28, 1921.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SAMUEL SEGALv OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

TOOTHBRUSH.

Application filed May 15,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL SEGAL, a citizen of the United States, and aresident of New York, in the county of New York and State of New York,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tooth- Brushes, ofwhich the following is a specification.

My invention relates to brushes and more particularly to brushes whichare used for cleansing the teeth.

The object of the invention is the production of a tooth brush whichshall be so constructed as to be adapted to normally per form theordinary brushing or cleansing operation and which shall also be adaptedto perform, in addition, a scraping operation when so desired in orderto remove hardened foreign matter which could not be removed by theordinary brushing operation.

Other and further objects and advantages of the invention will appearfrom the accompanying description, the invention consisting in the novelparts and combinations of the same hereinafter more particularlydescribed and then specified in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure l is a side elevation of my improved tooth brush.

Fig. '2 is a plan view of the same.

Referring more specifically to both figures of the drawing:

1 indicates the usual handle of my improved tooth brush which isprovided with a brush-head 2. Said handle and brushhead are preferablyintegral and are composed of bone although they may be made of any othersuitable material if so desired. Moreover, the shape or configuration ofthe handle and head may be varied considerably from that shown as thespecific shape of the handle and head forms no part of my invention withthe exception, of course, that the head must be of a size and shapepermitting it to be readily inserted in the mouth.

3 indicates separate masses of bristles whose ends are embedded in thebrush-head 2. Said bristles are somewhat elongated and are more or lessflexible and have about the same qualities as the bristles of anordinary tooth brush. 4 indicates compact masses of shorter bristleswhose ends are Specification of Letters Patent. Patented June 28, 1921.

1920. Serial No. 381,654.

embedded in the brush-head 2 in the spaces intermediate the masses 3 ofthe longer bristles so that the head has embedded therein alternatemasses of long and short bristles. The saidshort bristles 4 areappreciably more rigid and stiff than the longer bristles 3 and theirouter ends or tops lie in a horizontal plane appreciably lower than theplane of the outer ends of the longer bristles. The shorter and strongerbristles 4 not only perform a function which will presently be explainedbut they also act as supports for the masses of longer and more flexiblebristles which they engage. ,This is desirable after the tooth brush hasbeen used for some time and has become old as then the longer bristlesare apt to sag considerably and require support.

In operation, when it is desired to cleanse the teeth in the ordinaryway, the tooth brush is manipulated with ordinary pressure appliedthereon so that the longer bris tles 3 only contact with the teeth. If,how ever, it is desired to scrape the teeth to remove tartar or anyother hardened foreign matter which could not be removed by the longerbristles, more pressure is applied to the brush which forces the longerbristles to be bent over to one side and permits the ends of the rigid,strong and stiff shorter" bristles to contact with the teeth and toperform the scraping operation.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. A tooth brush having a head with separated masses 'of long flexiblebristles fastened to the head thereof and masses of shorter andappreciably more rigid bristles intermediate the masses of long bristlesand also fastened to the head thereof, said long bristles being adaptedto perform a cleansing operation on the teeth when ordinary pressure isapplied to the brush and being also adapted to be bent over when greaterpressure is applied to the brush to permit the short and rigid bristlesto scrape the teeth.

2. A toothbrush having a head with separated masses of long flexiblebristles fastened to the head thereof and compact separated masses ofshorter and appreciably more rigid bristles intermediate the masses oflong bristles and also fastened to the head thereof and engaging andsupporting the masses of long bristles, said long bristles being adapt-Signed at New York in the county of New ed to perform it cleanslngoperation on the York and State of New York this 13th day teeth whenordnary PIGSSllIGiS applied to of May, A. D. 1920.

the brush and being also adapted to be bent SAMUEL SEGAL. 5 over whengreater pressure is applied to the \"itnesses brush to permit the shortand rigid bristles F. B. Towxsmn,

to Scrape the teeth. IRENE LEFKUWITZ.

